Seaweed Sorting? There’s Now an App for That!

“What is that squishy brown stuff on the rock?” – said every tidepool enthusiast ever.

Just in time for the low winter tides, the brilliant minds of the Martone Lab out of University of British Columbia have come to the rescue (just in case you needed one more reason to love Canadia). With over 100 different species represented from the North Western Seaboard of North America, the Seaweed Sorter app is here to blow some minds.

Photos: Martone Lab

“Unlike printed dichotomous keys, which use jargon and often require specialized knowledge, Seaweed Sorter uses easy-to-understand, illustrated questions that assume no prior knowledge and allows users to skip questions at any time.

Seaweed Sorter includes more than 250 photos, current and former names, taxonomic details, clear morphological and ecological descriptions, and lists of other seaweeds that “could be confused with” your specimen… Books can be quickly out-of-date, but Seaweed Sorter content will be updated frequently with taxonomic revisions, additional photos, new species, and more. Plus, content is available anytime and doesn’t require an internet connection, making Seaweed Sorter an excellent companion on any trip to the coast.”

Just remember….waterproof phone sold separately. You have been warned.

Alex currently resides as a Science Communicator for the National Park Service, where she inspires thousands a year to love the watery world. Alex earned her Masters degree in chemical ecology from San Diego State University investigating the effects of heavy metal pollutants on the chemical communication between organisms. In her “free time,” Alex enjoys convincing the public that Ecology is indeed sexy. With that goal, she is a strong proponent of unconventional science communication and extending the broader impacts of science to the general public using the outlets of film and social media. When she is not busy busting a move or filming her next rap video, she can normally be found frolicking through the California kelp forest.